New protections from discrimination must protect school staff

The Independent Education Union (IEU) welcomes Labor’s proposed private members’ bill to Federal Parliament to remove religious schools’ rights to discriminate against LGBTQI students in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.
However, the IEU strongly urges the Opposition to fight for an end to all discrimination against school staff on all grounds, whether about sexuality, marital status (including divorce), accessing IVF, and any other factors.
The union believes that current industrial legislation is adequate to deal with employment disputes.
“Incidences of discrimination against students by schools are quite rare, whereas discrimination against staff is a real and live thing which we at the union, representing such staff, deal with from time to time,” Federal President IEUA and NSW/ACT Branch Secretary John Quessy said.

“This is career threatening and life changing discrimination that can have a profound effect on teachers and support staff,”
John Quessy, Federal President IEUA and NSW/ACT Branch Secretary